Jesse Colin Young was a moderately successful folk singer with two LPs under his belt–Soul of a City Boy (1964) and Youngblood (1965)–when he met fellow folk singer and former bluegrass musician from Cambridge named Jerry Corbitt. When in town, Young would drop in on Corbitt, and the two played together for hours, exchanging harmonies.

Beginning in January 1965, the two began performing on the Canadian circuit as a duo (eventually as the Youngbloods, Young played bass, and Corbitt played piano, harmonica and lead guitar). Corbitt introduced Young to a bluegrass musician, Lowell Levinger, who had the nickname of “Banana.” Levinger could play the banjo, mandolin, mandola, guitar and bass; he had played in the Proper Bostoners and the Trolls, and knew of a fellow tenant who could flesh out the band. Joe Bauer, an aspiring jazz drummer with experience playing in society dance bands, was at first unmoved by the offer to perform in a rock and roll outfit, but soon gave in.

Darkness Darkness

Darkness, Darkness
Be my pillow
Take my head
And let me sleep
In the coolness of your shadow
In the silence of your deep

Darkness, Darkness
Hide my yearning
For the things I cannot be
Keep my mind from constant turning
Toward the things I cannot see now
Things I cannot see now
Things I cannot see

Darkness, darkness,
Long and lonesome,
Ease the day that brings me pain.
I have felt the edge of sadness,
I have known the depth of fear.
Darkness, darkness, be my blanket,
Cover me with the endless night,
Take away, take away the pain of knowing,
Fill the emptiness of right now,
Emptiness of right now, now, now
Emptiness of ri-ight now.

Darkness, darkness, be my pillow,
Take my hand, and let me sleep.
In the coolness of your shadow,
In the silence, the silence of your deep.
Darkness, darkness, be my blanket,
Cover me with the endless night,
Take away, take away the pain of knowing
Fill the emptiness of right now,
Emptiness of right now now now
Emptiness of right….
Oh yeah Oh yeah
Emptiness, emptiness
Oh yeah

Audio from the 1970 album, The Best of the Youngbloods:

(144)

Other songs posted for this artist

Get Together ~ The Youngbloods